Imagine….Regulation?

Since my first moments as a doula, I have had a dream. I dreamed that doulas could work alongside of doctors and nurses. But that wasn’t what I saw and heard and read when I spoke to other doulas.

The talked about activism and advocacy. The wrote about ignoring hospital policies by giving women food and drink in labour, behind the medical team’s back. They spoke about telling clients to lie about when their waters broke. They spoke about speaking on behalf of their clients.

I wish I could say these were not Canadian doulas. I wish I could say that that these rogue doulas were born out of a more controversial medical system.

My wishes are in vain.

There are many Canadian doulas who practice this way. There is even a prominent Canadian doula who not only practices this way, she teaches doulas to act this way. It is because of doulas like her that more stringent requirements need to be put in place.

This is starting to happen in American hospitals. Many of them are putting credential programs in place. These credentials boil down to something very simple: doulas wishing to attend births in the hospital have to agree to some basic rules. The rules are not controversial: follow a scope of practice, , and attend a basic hospital orientation. They will also require doulas to be certified or pre-certified with one of a number of recognized certifying organizations. This shouldn’t be controversial. This doesn’t seem complicated.

And yet….

Many in the doula world are up in arms. They fear that this is an attempt by hospitals to bully clients, force doulas to work for the hospital, or mandate vaccinations for doulas. They are writing blogs rallying against the regulation. They are threatening boycotts and making terrifying statements that women are being oppressed.

They aren’t. They are being protected.

These regulations will help our clients. We will have new levels of access! Imagine not needing to ask a nurse for a birthing ball, because a doula can grab it? Or if doulas were known to the staff and welcomed? Possibly, even, once trust has been established through the regulation system, if doulas were always allowed in the OR during a caesarean?

We could support our clients even better than before.

Once again, Toronto Family Doulas is proud of their affiliation with ProDoula. Because ProDoula is leading the way. ProDoula is working with individual hospitals to develop these requirements. They are at the table, working with administrators, to develop rules that protect clients, doulas, and hospitals alike. When hospitals began calling, to seek advice, ProDoula was the organization that responded.

So yes, we can imagine.

We imagine a world where doulas and doctors work together. We imagine a world where doulas are certified and regulated. We imagine a world where doulas are recognized and respected, while also being held responsible for their actions. We also think that regulation is inevitable. It is only a matter of time before it happens here, and everywhere. So we have to ask…won’t you join us?